How to Read Cabinet Sizes

Common cabinet dimensions list first by width, and then height and depth. (Image: Jupiterimages/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images)

When you decide to redo your kitchen, one thing you will probably want to do is replace your old, dingy and worn-out cabinets. In fact, just adding new cabinets to a kitchen or any other room can give it an instantly bright and vibrant appearance. Before you pick out your new cabinets, learn how to read cabinet sizes to ensure they will fit in the space available for them.

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Watch for the order of the dimensions that determine the size of cabinets. The industry standard is to list the width, the height and then the depth.

Look for the cabinet size that starts with “W.” This size might read “W2440.” This means that the cabinets will be 24 inches wide and 40 inches high.

Assume the depth. If the depth if not included in the cabinet size, then you can assume that it’s 12 inches if it's a wall cabinet attached to the wall, or 24 inches if it's a base cabinet that connects to the floor.

Find out what other dimensions within the size mean that might be specific to your cabinets. For example, some cabinets have diagonal corners labeled as “DCW” or “DW.” In this case, you’re looking for the diagonal edge size followed by the height: DW2432. A size that starts with “DB” is the drawer base; width “B” refers to the base cabinet width and “SB” is the sink base width.